Local Hampton, Newport News leaders feed more than 5700 at Thanksgiving Harvest

November 24, 2013|By Ryan Murphy, rmurphy@dailypress.com

NEWPORT NEWS — Johnny Khan won't be having dinner this Thursday with friends and family, as many will when Thanksgiving rolls around.

Khan, 54, has been homeless for more than five years.

"Everywhere you go there will be haves and have-nots," Khan said. "Nobody wants to not have a Thanksgiving dinner. It's an American tradition."

However, Khan and thousands of others were able to get their fill of turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie on Saturday at the 14th annual Feeding 5000 Thanksgiving Harvest and Community Celebration in Newport News.

More than 375 volunteers, including community leaders Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Newport News, members of the Hampton and Newport News city councils, local business owners, high school students and others helped dole out heaping helpings of all the traditional Thanksgiving fixings. The Heritage High School Marching Band and other performers played while people danced and made their way through long lines that wrapped around the outer edges of the Farmers Market in the 2800 block of Jefferson Avenue.

Founder and organizer Andrew Shannon said volunteers collected more than 200 turkeys for the event. They cooked more than 100 to serve on Saturday to the 5725 people who turned out and will give many of the remaining turkeys to families in need so that they can have something to prepare on Thanksgiving Day.

Shannon said he's excited about the continued growth of the event, which last year served 5,400. Shannon said the event wouldn't exist without support from within the community to caring for those around them.

"It's a collaborative effort among business leaders and the community, elected officials who cross city lines to come and they know it's a day of service. They roll up their sleeves and come to serve," Shannon said, noting that some volunteers came from as far away as North Carolina to help feed the needy in Newport News.

"We have people from the homeless to members of Congress, and they come out together, they eat together, they meet and they greet," Shannon said.

Khan said he'll go to other public Thanksgiving meals throughout the week hosted by service groups and churches, but events like Feeding 5000 are important because of the human connections they create.

"It brings the whole community together," Khan said. "Things like this are what keep people motivated."